Skipping Out

San Jose, Costa RicaTalking with a fellow traveler this evening I realized that for the past few weeks I’ve basically skipped over the general tourist spots in Nicaragua and plan on doing the same in Costa Rica. There was no volcano surfing near Leon, nor did I set my sights on Granada or hike any [...]

Talking with a fellow traveler this evening I realized that for the past few weeks I’ve basically skipped over the general tourist spots in Nicaragua and plan on doing the same in Costa Rica. There was no volcano surfing near Leon, nor did I set my sights on Granada or hike any volcanoes on Ometepe.

I also don’t plan on spending much time in Costa Rica. Until a normal two hour bus ride turned into five hours I was planning on spending less than 36 hours in the country. Costa Rica just seems to cater to American tourism and I’m finding it quite annoying. Partly because of the way Americans act while traveling and partly because of the amount of tourism infrastructure in the country. So, there will be no zip lining, jungle treks, or laying in thermal pools in Costa Rica for me. Which is fine because I’ve done just about all of that in other places throughout Central America. The fact that most Americans believe the rest of Central America is ‘dangerous’ means that it costs a quarter of the price to do these same activities elsewhere.

San Jose

The only exception to the last sentence written are the capital cities of any country in the CA-4. They are, justifiably, not places people want to be. For the past five months I’ve avoided capitals and when I’ve needed to spend any amount of time in them tension levels rise and my personal security level reaches code red. The same cannot be said when entering San Jose. Other than Panama City, San Jose is the best capital city to travel through in Central America. After the Nicaraguan jungles I am once again in a place where I don’t have to ask myself if there will be an ATM machine or if it’s possible to buy a beer or have internet access in a particular town. San Jose is a breath of fresh air after spending a couple weeks boating down rivers and staring at jungle. Seeing the golden arches and crowds of transvestites on street corners is a welcome site.

From Solentiname Islands 2011-01My only photo taken in Costa Rica. I had to get my photo in the Samuelito bake shop.

After the longer than expected five hour bus ride mentioned above I’m staying a total of 48 hours instead of the expected 36 hours in Costa Rica. Rather than spend Saturday on buses I’m spending it walking around down town, making some phone calls and doing laundry (much needed since the last time my clothes were washed in a washing machine were the Bay Islands of Honduras).

Sam Langley left a comfortable and profitable job with an insurance company in the USA to travel the world. He has been going for years, and has not stopped yet. Keep up with his travels on his blog at Cubicle Ditcher. Sam Langley has written 147 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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About Wade Shepard

I’m an itinerant writer who has been traveling the world since 1999, through 88 countries. I wrote Ghost Cities of China, a book which chronicles the two years that I spent in China’s new cities, and have another book about the New Silk Road coming out soon. I’m a regular contributor to Forbes, The Diplomat, and the South China Morning Post, and I have been featured on BBC World, VICE, NPR Morning Edition, CNBC Squawk Box, CBC The Current … This is my personal blog where I share stories from the road that don’t fit in anywhere else. In other words, this is my daily diary, raw and real — it is not edited or even proofread. Subscribe below.